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CHAPTER 2What Gets inOur Way?

For many of us, conflict is a dirty word. Some of us try to escape conflict by burying our heads, turning away, not bringing it up. Others try to get out of the situation as quickly as possible by force of will—I’ll just tell them what to do and be done with it. Why do we work so hard to get rid of conflict?

Again and again, business books and journals praise the advantages of engaging in constructive conflict resolution. Authors and researchers tell us how conflict can improve productivity and performance, strengthen teamwork, and become a catalyst for creative problem solving. We read and nod our heads in agreement. ...

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